PAUL SWINDALL Obituary

PAUL MILTON SWINDALL MELBOURNE BEACH, FL Paul Milton Swindall, 84, passed away February 13, 2013 in Melbourne Beach following a long illness. He was born August 6, 1928, in Talladega, AL. After graduating from high school in Sylacauga, he attended Auburn University, where he earned his BSEE degree and was a member of ETA-Kappa-Nu and AIEE. After receiving an engineering degree from Auburn in 1954, Paul joined the US Army Ballistic Missile Agency as an engineer in the group responsible for radio frequency communications for the early US Army rockets such as Redstone, Jupiter, and Juno. Under the leadership of Dr. Wernher von Braun, this group also developed the RF communication equipment for the first US orbiting satellite, Explorer I. When NASA was formed in 1958, Paul was one of several who moved with Dr. von Braun to form NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. In the early 1960's, he was named Chief of Antenna Section of the Communications and Tracking Branch. In this capacity, he was responsible for the operation of the MSFC antenna range and supervision of Antenna Section personnel. Paul was involved in the design, development, and testing of radio frequency systems for the Saturn I and Saturn 5 launch vehicles. He was MSFC responsible engineer for the command and telemetry antenna, R.F switching and multiplexing equipment for Skylab. He was also responsible engineer for design and development of Antenna Systems for the Space Shuttle range safety system and the Solid Rocket Booster ocean recovery system. After retirement from NASA in 1982, Paul joined USBI, the Shuttle launch support contractor at Kennedy Space Center, where he worked until 1985. In 1988, he moved to Melbourne Beach, FL and enjoyed spending his retirement years dividing his time between his home there and one in Enterprise, AL. A life-long Presbyterian, Paul was long a member of Faith Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, AL, where he served as an elder, as co- chairman of the Building Committee and president of the Men's Club. Talented musically, Paul played the saxophone in the Talladega High School Band at the early age of six years. He played the piano and the organ and was an active supporter of Church and Community musical programs. In Florida, he was a member of Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Indialantic and an active member of a garden club, where he received the "golden shovel" award for outstanding work. An avid bicycler, he enjoyed riding long distances on Florida's flat roads. Paul was preceded in death by his parents, Ailene and Paul Swindall; two sisters, two brothers, and an infant daughter. He is survived by his beloved wife of 33 years, Eva Meaders Swindall; daughter, Lee England; granddaughter, Sarah Katherine England; step family, lovingly called him "Papa": children, Charles Ray, Carlton Ray, Charlotte Covin; 8 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Music Fund, Eastminister Presbyterian Church, 106 N. Riverside Drive, Indialantic, FL, 32903. There will be a private memorial service in celebration of Paul's life. Paid Obituary

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Published by TC Palm on Feb. 19, 2013.

Memories and Condolences
for PAUL SWINDALL

8 Entries

HW Swindall

February 11, 2020

I have rarely, or never. met a person as diversified in all phases of talent afforded human beings as Paul. It seems he was able in anything he put his hand to, and he shared them with me in my formative years.

Leah

July 11, 2013

Papa, we love and miss you. Thank you for playing with us, helping us grandkids on the big slides, recording our silliness on your camcorder and all the little ways you showed you love us, too.

Fraser Williams

February 20, 2013

This announcement floods my memory of all the great times Paul and I had working on antennas in the Cow Pasture. Many weekends we walked around Monte Sano and then one day discovering Huntsville Mountain when there was only a moonshine still and rattle snakes; long before there were any houses. We worked long hours together to get the jobs done and Paul was always so helpful and insightful as to what needed to be done. The place we worked some of the time was on Madkin Mountain and it was almost impossible to get to the job site. So, Paul being the one that got things done negotiated an Army tank that we drove to work up the mountain a few days. What fun we had working together!

February 20, 2013

Sweet Sister Lee, so sorry to hear about your dad. Thinking of you.
Much love, CB

Lance Poole

February 20, 2013

I am very proud to be related to Paul. I know that both he and my grandfather (his brother Harold) were great men in so many ways. It makes me want to be a better person.

Wayne Swindall

February 18, 2013

I had a unique relationship to Paul. He was the youngest of Paul and Aline Swindall, and I was their first grandchild. We were only 9 years apart in age, and he was more like a big brother than an uncle. We lived with my grandparents during WWII while my father was serving in the European Theater, and I spent a lot of time with Paul. He gave me so much of his time. He bought my first bicycle and taught me to ride it ... memories flood as I write. If you read the obituary, you know something of his abilities and talent. And it did not just start when he went to work for NASA. All his life, if you gave him a block of wood, a length of pipe, or even a few inches of solder, he could make something out of it. I saw this more than once. He learned to drive a car when he was 6 years old. I could go on, but suffice it to say that a true original has gone on to glory.
Wayne and Karen Swindall

David Mosher

February 18, 2013

I am thankful that I was fortunate enough to have Paul as my Uncle. I never had a question as to whether or not he loved me.

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